Incest: “The first time, I was three years old”

In the main hall of La Capricieuse, at the Gustavia Harbor Master’s Office, a heavy silence settles in. Overcome with emotion, a woman takes the microphone to recount the repeated sexual assaults she endured throughout her childhood. “The first time, I was three years old,” she sobs. “What could have been an isolated incident became a habit.” Without mincing words, she describes the acts she endured in the most graphic terms. Her testimony is both moving and infuriating. Whether it was Representative Maud Petit, chair of the National Assembly’s commission of inquiry on incest; Judge Ségolène Pasquier, president of the Basse-Terre Judicial Court; or all the participants at the conference held on Saturday, June 20, all were deeply shaken by the account they had just heard. They would be shaken once again a few minutes later during a second testimony delivered with emotion and anguish by another resident of Saint-Barthélemy.

“The Lack of a Proportionate Criminal Response”
The first vice-president of the Territorial Council, Marie-Hélène Bernier, organized this conference-debate with the aim of taking stock of the situation. She sought to assess the tools available to victims and the justice system, as well as the silence that still surrounds cases of incest and child abuse. “Our collective responsibility is to break this silence, to listen to the victims, to strengthen their protection, and to mobilize all relevant stakeholders so that no child is left alone to face this violence, which occurs in all walks of life,” the elected official stated. She emphasized, however, “the difficulty of speaking out in such a small community.” This is one of the many factors that further amplifies the victims’ suffering.
During their remarks, the speakers took care to describe in detail the nature of their work to combat incest and provide support to victims. Maud Petit, chair of the National Assembly’s commission of inquiry on incest, participated in the conference from Paris via video conference. The lawmaker highlights “the impunity of perpetrators” and “the lack of criminal penalties proportionate to the crimes committed.” She states: “7.4 million people say they have been victims of incest, but we must add to that number those who do not speak out. Less than 1% of perpetrators are convicted. 77% of sexual violence against minors is committed within the family. Child protection is insufficient.”

“I wanted to confront it”
Like Maud Petit, deputies Frantz Gumbs (Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy) and Christian Baptiste (Guadeloupe, rapporteur for the National Assembly’s commission of inquiry on incest), as well as Senator Micheline Jacques, are participating in the discussions via “video conference .” Cécile Rubino Tessier, territorial councilor in charge of Social Affairs, emphasized that “we must not wait for children to speak out in order to protect them.”
“For all those years, I had suicidal thoughts,” says one woman. “When you decide to speak out, you know that probably nothing will happen. But I wanted to confront him (her abuser). He always denied it, even during the trial. He fled. He was found three months later. He had committed suicide.” Olivier Fatou represents the organization France Victimes. “It’s very difficult to speak after hearing that testimony,” he says softly. “It hit me hard.” ” Ségolène Pasquier, president of the Basse-Terre Judicial Court, adds: “In everyday life, one can’t imagine that such horrifying acts could exist. To testify as this woman did takes a great deal of courage.”

The Mélanie Protocol
In Saint-Barthélemy, Adjutant Anaïs Godet serves as the gendarmerie’s point person for domestic violence. She is also the only one trained in the Mélanie procedure, named after the first child to be interviewed using a U.S. protocol created in 1990. This method has been used in France since 2016. The problem: for the time being, the gendarmerie does not yet have the necessary equipment—such as a one-way mirror. However, a “Mélanie” room could be set up as early as September.
Reporting to the district attorney’s office, interviews, investigation, psychological evaluation—the adjutant details the steps involved in filing a complaint. The hospital and the PMI (Maternal and Child Health Services), which make up for the lack of a forensic unit and forward their test results to the Institute of Guadeloupe, and the fact that there is only one gynecologist on the island… “I’ve handled several incest cases,” she confides. “What keeps me going is the legal process. A man who confessed to me was sentenced to thirteen years in prison. That may not seem like much, but he’s in prison.”

“Angry”
A second testimony once again plunges the audience into a mix of emotion marked by outrage and horror. “I was seven years old when it happened to me,” says a man overcome with emotion. “Today, I’m angry. My abuser is still out there. It’s been six years since I filed a complaint, and nothing has happened. Running into him in public places, seeing him look at children… Breaking the silence is very difficult. My mother had to leave the island. I chose to stay and fight. But what can we do?”
Olivier Fatou describes the legal process as a “tsunami.” “And it’s even bigger when you’re in Saint-Barthélemy,” he notes. “Victims are encouraged to speak out, but they aren’t prepared for what lies ahead,” observes Maud Petit. “And the lack of resources is glaring in the overseas territories.” Such as the lack of foster families in Saint-Barthélemy—an issue the medical-social center is actively working on.

Some useful contacts

• France Victimes – Phone: 0690378401. Email: francevictimes978@gmail.com
• La Maison des femmes – Phone: 0690503131. Email: maisondesfemmes978@gmail.com
• Family Protection Center (Saint Martin) – Phone: 0590528849. Email: pf.comgendsbsm@gendarmerie.interieur.gouv.fr
• Maternal and Child Health Services (Saint-Barth) – Phone: 0590294969. Email: pmi@comstbarth.fr